Gifts one shouldn't know about

[Sinold Bragasson]

Never tell a woman something you wish to keep a secret! Never... It will come out, eventually. Either from her talking to her female friends, or because they are honor bound to tell their husbands, brothers and fathers.

Even though Sinold wasn’t one of the latter group to Letha yet, they were close and – in his mind – as good as bethrothed. How could she keep anything secret from him? It was impossible now, Sinold knew, and thus he had learned about a gift that old sea bear Tyrun was intending to give him.

A boat. Or rather – a ship, under Sinold’s command as it seemed. Letha had been a bit sketchy as to the details and those he would have to find out from tyrun hismelf, but the basic information rang true – Tyrun wanted to gift Sinold with a sea commission of his own.

It would be impossible to refuse such a genuous offer, in fact – feuds had started frequently over such offers rejected by an ungrateful doofus. No, if indeed tyrun wanted to make such a gift to him, Sinold would accept it. But then what? He was no merchant, no trader like the older Norse was. Sinold was a warrior by heart and knew something about raising horses for profit. Trading? Although he often had aparticipated in voyages of trade and - to put it more drastically – plunder, he had only been one of thsoe who lend their sword to their Lord and gave him what was his due. The fineries of trading, negotioating and drinking another underneath the table to achieve a good price were beyond his mind and his interests.

And then, he longed to be close to Letha! The times they had were seldom. As much as he loved the sea, he longed to find roots in Windstorm now. Being a captain with a ship and a crew would hardly allow him such.

It was a pickle. He could not refuse and he would not leave letha. After some more hours of tossing and turning about such a decision, sinold decided to let the subject rest until he had spoken to Tyrun and what exactly would be on his mind!

[Halethala]

((Letha is so dead . . and Sinny has an even bigger mouth than she . . *cuffs affectionately*))

They had finally found some time alone to venture back to the cliffs overlooking the sea . . a spot they'd visited before that would aways hold a warm place in her memory. Much had changed since then.

She tried to convince herself that she hadn't intended tell Sinold her reasons for obliquely testing the strength of his love for the sea, whether the pull of it at his heart was still something he pined after . . by now she should have known that to hint around about something would set Sinny into a relentless barrage of pressuring until the full tale was told . . she'd tried her best to simply make it sound as if she were merely wondering about his heritage, but eventually she told him what the Captain had challenged her with . . an opportunity that Letha was certain Sinold would not pass by.

She'd worried that she had not misunderstood Captain Tyrun that night . . when he finally told her his intentions, to ask Sinold if he would wish a ship of his own, Letha had been dazed, a mix of reactions washing over her. Something about the offer rang pure. No, Sinold would never be a "farmer" as Tyrun had snorted in derision . . but was he truly a sailor at heart? He was a Viking . . surely they all had salt water mingling in their blood. She felt sure that if offered, Sinold would leap at the chance.

Yet she left with a heavy feeling. It would mean long months of separation . . and temptations in every port of call he landed at. . . perhaps they should not commit to something that would only be a millstone to Sinold's free spirit . . She wished him happiness and success, more than she wished him bound to her . . her love had gone beyond the selfishness of possessiveness that marked some relationships . . hadn't it?

As she had told Andrea when the lovely Russian woman had gently asked her . . sometimes one did what was right, and then waited for one's feelings to align themselves to the choice . . She was strong, fit, and had an entire castle full of family to watch over her when he left . . if that is what he would choose . . she'd watched Lady Dream yearn for more of her Robin, and yet not complained when his duties took him away far too often . .

They would survive . . surely they would . . whatever would come. Time would tell . .